Sudan, Turkey to plot economic roadmap

September 8, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government announced the formulation of a roadmap to implement agreements signed with Turkey in the economic, financial, banking and commercial fields as well as gas, oil, agriculture, livestock and minerals projects.

Sudan’s finance minister Mohamed Osman al-Rikabi discussed with the visiting Turkish Deputy Minister of Economy al-Fatih Matin the status of economic agreements signed between the two countries.

Matin is accompanied by a delegation of 40 Turkish businessmen hunting for investment opportunities in Sudan.

Rikabi said that the visit comes following a series of previous ones aimed at strengthening relations and signing several agreements that will have a positive impact on the Sudanese economy.

A statement by the finance ministry quoted the Turkish minister as saying that talks with Sudanese officials will produce an economic partnership agreement.

"The agreement will have a positive impact and will benefit Sudanese exporters and open the doors for them to introduce their products to Turkey".

In a related matter, the Turkish minister of agriculture and forestry Bekir Pakdemirli said that his country is in the process of growing crops it does not have through investments in Sudan.

According to Turkey’s Anadolu news agency Pakdemirli is scheduled to visit Sudan with private sector representatives on Sept. 9-11 to meet with President Omer Hassan al-Bashir and Sudanese ministers.

Pakdemirli said the talks will focus on the allocation of 780,500 hectares of agricultural land in Sudan to Turkish companies to produce crops that are difficult to grow in Turkey or are not produced in sufficient quantities.

"This investment will provide raw materials for the agricultural and textile industries in Turkey as well as exporting products to third countries," he added.

The project will contribute to the establishment of large agricultural companies in the future in line with the country’s agricultural strategy, in addition to providing jobs in both countries.

It is noteworthy that the relations of the two countries in the agricultural field gained momentum after the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to Sudan in December 2017.